Rhode Island Hospital’s emergency department allowed a patient suspected of having measles to sit in a public waiting area for more than two hours, instead of isolating him to avoid spreading the disease,...

By Felice J. Freyer

Rhode Island Hospital’s emergency department allowed a patient suspected of having measles to sit in a public waiting area for more than two hours, instead of isolating him to avoid spreading the disease, a Health Department investigation has found.

Tests later showed that the patient did not have measles. But at the time, on Feb. 28, his symptoms — fever, cough and rash — met the federal definition of probable measles.

The patient was wearing a mask. But, according to hospital policy, he should have been moved to a private room with negative air pressure that would prevent germs from escaping.

The Health Department has ordered the hospital to reeducate its emergency department staff on infection control.

Measles is highly infectious; the virus spreads through the air and can linger for hours. When a person with measles coughs, the virus can infect someone walking by as long as two hours afterward. Thanks to immunization, measles remains rare. Most people who get it recover, but brain infections and pneumonia can occur.

The patient initially sought treatment at Roger Williams Medical Center on Feb. 25. At that time, his symptoms did not yet indicate possible measles, according to Health Director Michael Fine. On Feb. 28, he developed a rash and went to the CVS Minute Clinic in North Attleboro, which recognized possible measles and referred him to Rhode Island Hospital’s emergency department.

Fine declined to say whether the Minute Clinic handled the case appropriately but said that Rhode Island health officials “discussed the case with them” and made sure they had reported it to Massachusetts authorities.

On March 3, the Health Department put out a public alert urging anyone who had been at Roger Williams, the CVS in North Attleboro or Rhode Island Hospital during the time the patient was there to call those facilities and update their vaccination status.

In a compliance order dated March 21 and made public late Wednesday, the Health Department found that Rhode Island Hospital’s failures to follow procedures “have the potential to cause harm to the public.”

The Health Department ordered Rhode Island Hospital to reeducate its staff on the care, treatment and precautions required for patients who may be contagious. The hospital was required to develop a plan of correction by March 28 and a root-cause analysis by May 1.

Asked whether Rhode Island Hospital had been fined for its actions, Fine said, “Not on this one,” but added that a second such incident would be treated differently.

“Rhode Island Hospital takes the safety of its patients and staff seriously and has in place comprehensive infection control policies and procedures,” said a statement from the hospital. Failing to isolate the suspected measles patient “is not consistent with the hospital’s infection control policies,” the statement said.

“As a result, the hospital is reeducating emergency department staff on the appropriate policies and procedures that must be followed when treating patients presenting with symptoms that are consistent with rare communicable diseases,” the statement said.

No measles cases have been seen in Rhode Island for more than 20 years, except for one incident for 2011. A visitor from Italy was found to be infected with it; she was placed in isolation and recovered.

Twitter: @felicejfreyer

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